To say that London’s social life can be a nightmare for the uninitiated would certainly not be an understatement. The visitor who accepts an invitation to join his friend or acquaintance for a night at ‘his club’ and accordingly dons his favourite disco outfit may be in for a shock to find himself spending the evening in an establishment on St James’s, where little has changed since the 18th century, and women are still not permitted to enter.
On the other hand, foolish is the visitor to London who presumes that his forthcoming night in an exclusive member's club will be spent in a traditional Gentlemen’s establishment smoking cigars and drinking port. In fact the ‘exclusive club’ is equally as likely to have a DJ, a guest list, and a queue around the block – in short nothing more than a nightclub. Confused? Therein lies the problem: in London there is such a broad myriad of member’s establishments that two such clubs at opposing ends of the social spectrum are equally likely to share a postcode and a similar-sounding name. For those not in the know, it can be a minefield: where should you really aim to be, and what and who should you expect to find if you actually manage to gain access through the hallowed doors? |